I Am Thankful...

for friends like the Ferguson's who were led to adopt a little star named Nadia.  I am thankful I found their blog, followed their journey, and our family is now traveling a similar path to Sarah.   They were recently featured in the North Raleigh News.  Check out their article,  "From Ukraine, with love."

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving:)

I'm Grateful For...

 my two kids who embrace the magic of the holidays, spin their elf tales, and retell every moment of their special ornaments.

I am filled with gratitude that they pray for Sarah nightly, are making plans of ways to help her when she comes home, and learning finger plays and songs for her.   So much love for a little girl born in our hearts.

 

One day there'll be five stockings hanging...Soon....

Elf Magic and the Buckeyes

 The seasonal Elves showed up in our home last evening.  Addyson wrote a letter to Santa so that her elf, Ellie, might return from the North Pole.  You'll see she even threw in a plea for her brother to receive an elf this year.  Last year, it sparked writing ideas beyond what I could imagine.  She would write letters to her elf, and her elf would write her back. 

 Austin received his elf and both were creating a scavenger hunt for their elves to go on.  After much deliberation and debate, they settled on hiding markers instead of candy!!!

We visited some friends for the Ohio State vs. Iowa game today.  It's always a great time at their home.  Over 30 children, plus parents attended, but the main event was half-time.  Trying to get a "group" photo was a challenge!!  No matter how many times I hit the shutter, another child appeared!!  The other highlight was our friend leading the kids in a Script Ohio march in the backyard!!  You'll notice the papparazzi in the background, getting their pictures and video!! 

Go Bucks!!!!  Family, friends, and fun...it doesn't get any better!!!!!!

A Peaceful Drive and Hope

       I took the day off Thursday because of dentist appointments for the kids, and I needed to drive an hour each way for a piece of necessary paperwork.  I enjoy solitary drives to think, process, and plan.  The drive Thursday was exactly what I needed.  Random thoughts have been going through my head, especially with the upcoming vote in Eastern Europe, our own dossier holding pattern, and questions about when she comes home.  My head and my heart battle amongst themselves, and doubt creeps in ever so slowly.  I know Sarah will be a part of our family.  It's the WHEN that wigs me out. So, this drive was a time for me to process all my thoughts. 

I went to a town I've never been, enjoyed the quaintness, and admired the architecture of the courthouse.  When I walked in the massive gold doors, magnificent grand staircases were a sight to behold, all decked out in green garland and wreaths.    I felt like Scarlett O'Hara walking up to the second floor.    A fifteen minute appointment and my deed was completed.

Walking into the dentist office that afternoon, I began thinking of when I'll be bringing Sarah in for her first check-up.  After checking in, I sat down and across from me was a middle/high-schooler with Ds.  They were there to discuss orthodontia.  Earlier, I had read where an adoptive family struggled to find a doctor who would take new patients, especially special needs.  I knew I would not have any difficulty with my pediatrician, but had questions about our dentist.  What an answer!  For me, it was another confirmation that we are meant to be her forever family.  It may not have meaning for some.  For me, it was a sign that brought peace to my anxious heart.  

Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.  Ghandi

Gratefulness

 

It seems we all share how busy we are and how fast the days go by.  A constant reminder to celebrate the good, the beautiful, and the happiness.  Driving to work, the sun was beaming through the bare trees, listening to some new tunes I found.  My gaze looked to both sides, and not to only the road.  I noticed, I saw things I normally would not see.  A deer laying in the grass, his head turning back and forth, like he was watching a tennis match.  Christmas decorations beginning to appear, that are lighting up the evening.  Teens waiting for their bus, some days in coats, other days in hoodies.  The last few survivor trees hanging on to their leaves with a stubborn, defiance to the wind, rain, and sun.

 We've been in the week-end craft mode lately.  I found some cute cards, some wonderful sayings, and made an encouragement treasure bucket for my friend.

For my other friend, I painted a glass jar, wrote quotes, and sayings on individual colored pieces.  Her Jar of Hope. 











Addyson's birthday is coming up and we are planning her first large birthday party.  Today, we made invitations, fabulatized them, and took our "Invitation Walk" around the neighborhood, passing out said invitations to her friends.  She'd ring the doorbell, hand her friend the envelope, and then she was off to the next home.  She's into the whole peace, flower power look, so we're gonna rock the ice-skating rink out in flower power fashion.

Austin is absolutely lovin' his cub scouts.  He's sold popcorn, visited the police station, been to Super Games, and is so stinkin' cute in his uniform.  He's my "follow what's on the calendar" guy!  I forgot to write "Brunch for Lunch" on the calendar this week.  So, when he got to school without his lunchbox, he was totally upset.  When I got home, he made sure to inform me that I needed to write it on our calendar.

 

I've had my out of control moments with conferences, field trips,  gradecards, holiday shopping, home stuff, and completing our paperwork.  We've completed all we can until our state clearances/home study is here.  Then, only two more steps and our part is complete.    It's getting so close, yet still far away.  There's been much chatter about upcoming Eastern European issues.  While it could affect us all, it is what it is but it will become what we make it.  I am choosing to continue focusing on the good, the beautiful, and small moments that make every day a celebration.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Fabulous food, family fun, and time...time to listen, time to talk, and time to celebrate our gratefulness for the lives we've been given.  I'm grateful for so many things.  What are you grateful for these days?

Encouragement

To Encourage, Be Encouraged, Feel Encouraged...

When I began writing here, my sole purpose was to share pictures, small moments, and daily happenings with our family far away.  It was also an outlet for me to explore and tweak my blogging skills.  Then, it became a place to share our journey to a shining star, named Sarah.  While it continues with those messages, encouragement and gratitude are common themes.  That's why I write.  I want you to feel encouraged, inspired, uplifted, and motivated to pass it on.

My parents are the BEST encouragers.  My mother has this AMAZING gift of sending out encouraging cards weekly.  I"ve asked her how she keeps up with it because I barely can keep birthdays straight.  But, she has this gift.  Every Sunday afternoon, she sits down with her calendar and church bulletin and makes a list of all the cards she needs to send out.  Birthday, anniversary, get well, thinking of you...one by one, she writes them out and sends them on the appropriate day.  AMAZING!  My father will listen, like no other.  Never offering his opinion unless asked.   Many have used his ear as a sounding board.  Both gifts take time, no money, no power, only time.   They learned this gift from my grandparents, who even this week sent me a newspaper clipping in the mail about encouragement   (By the way, they have over 40 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and they continue to encourage, each and everyone!)

To encourage...

Driving home, I was thinking about my friends who are hurting.  They are traveling a path, I've never walked, nor experienced.  I have wept with them, encouraged them, written notes, but I can't take the pain or uncertainty away.  It's there gripping  every part of their being.   I wrote the other day on Compassion and graceful is the tear of the sympathy.  It is necessary to feel the compassion for those hurting.  We should never be at a place where we stop feeling these emotions.  Those hurting need encouragement the most.

 But, it is an absolute MUST to continually be filled with gratitude for what we see, what we are given, and what we have.  There are so many things to be filled with gratitude.   Waking up daily, thankful the sun is shining,  your kids are smiling and happy, you are loved,  the vibrant hues of the falling leaves, the holidays approaching, an extra hour sleep this weekend, ...

Stuff happens and will happen. It's inevitable.  But, take time to encourage someone.  Lift someone up.  Embrace your journey.  I hope when you stop by, you are encouraged.  Your demeanor is a little brighter.  You are uplifted. 

Adversity is like a strong wind.
It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn,
so that we see ourselves as we really are.
-Arthur Golden,

Thoughtful Thursday

Choose to love—rather than hate.

Choose to smile—rather than frown.

Choose to build—rather than destroy.

Choose to persevere—rather than quit.

Choose to praise—rather than gossip.

Choose to heal—rather than wound.

Choose to give—rather than grasp.

Choose to act—rather than delay.

Choose to pray—rather than despair.

Choose to forgive—rather than curse.

Each day brings a new opportunity to choose.

What kind of choices will you make today?

FreeFall off a Cliff...

As more learn of our adoption plans, we've been asked questions that have no answers at this time.  Does she have...(fill in the blank)?  Does she.....(fill in the blank)?  What do you know...?

What we do know is limited...  she turned 3 in October, she has chestnut hair and chocolate eyes, she has Down syndrome, and she is in Eastern Europe.  A Reece's Rainbow family adopted children from her orphanage, and were able to give us a few pictures of Sarah dressed up in a spectacular, red tutu for a Children's Day program in her country.  We do know she is in a very big orphanage in a big city, which is good and sad at the same time.  Good, because they have access to many resources, and sad because there are so many young lives needing homes.

That's it.  No more, no less:(

We had long conversations before committing, questioned one another, knowing full well our lives would be changed for the better.  We were being led separately towards adoption before we came together.  Different forks in the road, meeting in one unified path. We truly will not have any answers to our questions until we travel.  It's uncomfortable, not knowing.  It's downright hard.   But, we're at peace with the unknown.   It's our Leap of Faith.  A Downright  Freefall off a Cliff...


"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art; to bring all our energies to each encounter, to remain flexible enough to notice and admit when what we expected to happen did not happen.
 
We do know she will thrive when she comes home.  We do know she will never go to bed without a kiss, hugs, and goodnight prayers.  We do know she will never go hungry, and she will have things that are Sarah's and Sarah's only.  We do know she will be loved, cherished, and celebrated daily.  We do know we are meant to be her forever family.

We do know She is LOVED...

 I found this quote from a catalog today: 
It is what it is, but it will become what we make it.


WOW...what a punch!!!


Then, I went to Kelle Hampton's blog and BAMMM...exactly how I've been feeling this week. 
Gearing up for conferences and gradecards, wishing for more adoption paperwork to come through, the holidays approaching and all that comes with it,  my cluttered house that looks like a hurricane tore through it this week, feeling I'm barely keeping my head above water, 

then I think of Sarah, oceans away, alone;

...sometimes the unknowns do grip me for a moment...

I can't change what is, but I can change what it will become...


Embracing my journey, Shelly

Compassion

I LOVE books on quotations, passages, pick-me-ups, thoughts and more.  There's something about flipping open one of "my" books as my eyes land on the perfect quote for the perfect time.

A dear friend gave me a book called Grace, and it is always near my computer for inspiration.  I've had thoughts lying in my head for future writings on Reece's Rainbow, their upcoming Christmas Angel Tree fundraiser, and advocating for the many without families coming for them.  I opened Grace and like always, the absolute, perfect passage met my gaze.

Compassion is an emotion of which we ought never to be ashamed.  Graceful is the tear of sympathy, the heart that melts at the tale of woe. We should not permit ease and indulgence to contract our affections, and wrap us up in selfish enjoyment; but we should accustom ourselves to think of the distresses of human life, of the solitary cottage, the dying parent, and the weeping orphan. 
Hugh Blair

Compassion, Grace, Love, Faith, Hope...
these children need us now.  

Walker (23)
Boy, Born May 13, 2007

Caitlin is a BOY!!!   All this time we were told Caitlin was a girl, but she is a HE!   Walker is a darling little boy ready to come home!   He is doing well, and is healthy outside of “dystopia of the left kidney”. No heart condition.

 He's at the same orphanage as Sarah!!!!

 Sandra (31)

Girl, Born June 22, 2006

Sandra is a beautiful little girl with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She is nearing 4 but is still working on her walking skills. She is physically capable, she is healthy with no heart condition, is able to stand on her own, play with toys, respond appropriately, but she will need extra patience and help with her PT and speech. She will so greatly benefit from a loving family who will encourage her!

Alina (23)
Girl, Born January 28, 2006

“Oh Mama, I have been waiting so long, won’t you come for me?”

 Our little Alina has brown hair and brown eyes. She was born with a VSD (ventricular septal defect) and also has hypothyroidism. She is doing very well, but should be seen by a cardiologist when she gets home. Alina has recently turned 4, and is now “at risk” for institutionalization.

 Same orphanage as Sarah!!!

Igor (2)
Born March 14, 2007
SO happy to have a new photo of Igor!  Look at the eyes on him, what a doll!  This little muffin has only an oval window.   He will make an amazing son!

What can you do?

Costumes and Candy Craze

 I didn't know I'd have to get the "goop" out!!!?

 Addy was more enthused about getting her hands "icky."  She truly enjoys the goo and mess and faithfully completed her part.

The orange masterpieces:  a dog for Addy, a cat for Austin, and a simple heart for a little princess, far away...

 My angel, who knew mom was sidetracked, and ordered her an angel costume even though she had three other costumes in a closet; my turtle, who was supposed to be a tiger(out of stock), was persistent on being an animal.  Do you know that there are not many animal costumes(not scary) for his size? 

 This year, we went trick-or-treating with our friends, who live in the next neighborhood.  We stopped at our house to get warmed up by the fire since it was a cold, brisk evening.  My husband had a pot of HOT coffee waiting for us, so I poured myself a mug to finish the last home stretch of the night.  He's amazing!!!

 What should be my first piece?

 The candy loot...

Resting in Grandpa's lap after a wonderful evening...